


Immortals

by Sunshinesuit



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: 17th Century, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Blood Kink, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Human/Vampire Relationship, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Literature, Multi, Pre hiatus Pete young and juicy, Pre-Hiatus (Fall Out Boy), Twincest, Twins, Werewolf, fan fiction, lycan, lycan au, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2019-06-05 23:26:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15181649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunshinesuit/pseuds/Sunshinesuit
Summary: Hey readers,This fob fanfiction here was my very first and I had friends who helped me with the grammar at the time. Its called Immortals now first it was called Immortal Souls, and I started to write in 2013, finished 9 chapters and shared everything on Deviantart. Now I rewrote everything in 2017. I didn't change much just added a few details more to the story. Im not a good writer (not at all) but I definately love my imagination and want to share it with all the fob fans out there. The story starts pretty slow until something happens so please don't judge it after the first two sentences. And I promise you, there will be peterick in this story!I hope you like it <3





	1. Twins

**Author's Note:**

> Hey readers,  
> This fob fanfiction here was my very first and I had friends who helped me with the grammar at the time. Its called Immortals now first it was called Immortal Souls, and I started to write in 2013, finished 9 chapters and shared everything on Deviantart. Now I rewrote everything in 2017. I didn't change much just added a few details more to the story. Im not a good writer (not at all) but I definately love my imagination and want to share it with all the fob fans out there. The story starts pretty slow until something happens so please don't judge it after the first two sentences. And I promise you, there will be peterick in this story! 
> 
> I hope you like it <3

Prolog  
Hello,

My name is Lewis and I am a Lycan.  
Probably the last Lycan in Chicago.  
I wanna tell you a story.  
The story of me and my brother.  
But first I beg your pardon.  
I'm not a reader, even less a writer but  
everyone should know what really happened.

...Vampires and other immortals have been part of my life for more than one lifetime now. We all found our place in life but somehow misery loves me.  
... I tried to protect my brother no matter what.  
however...  
My hands are shaking...  
I was  stupid enough to think the monster in me didn't exist anymore...  
I've done everything to get it out of my mind but now...  
I'm sad. I'm so ineffable sad...

... I'm so sorry. . .

 

  
Twins  
-

It was 27th of May in 1672. In the middle of a wakeful night a young farmer's wife was in labor. "Hold on my dear it is almost done." She took her husbands hand tightly while he sat behind her back to support her as good as possible. He looked down at his love and the young man could not barely stand seeing his wife in so much pain but forced himself to be strong on her behalf.  
The small room was illuminated by candles nearby  as the midwife arrived with cloths and hot water to help the process along. The shutters rumbled and the wind was  whisteling a sinister melodie . Her eyes were filled with concern for the growing family, the weather was quite ominous and the fact that this night was a full moon was a bad omen in itself. A pain filled shriek shook the midwife from her thoughts and she resumed her duties in assisting with the birth. The young woman's face was contorted in agony as contractions rippled throughout her body.  
The young womans face was red and soaked in sweat as she groaned in her efforts. The midwife and her husband encouraged her to breathe and push but her body was weak from hours of labor and yet she still endured. Now heavy rain whipped against the window panes.  
Another loud scream was ripped from her throat as her child began to crown and blood and amniotic fluid increased its flow from her body. Not long after a little baby boy was born. A lightning bolt struck the ground and the baby cried out from the top of his lungs before calming down as he lies on his mothers chest. "It is a boy." The midwife said happily. "Peter." The young mother whispered in relief and sunk into her husbands arms before she began to cry again. "What is happening?" The farmer asked with a start.  "It is not over yet." Answered the midwife to the nervous farmer, shook her head and stared at the woman's body, "There is a second." And only ten minutes after the first, the second boy was born. He was small and quiet. "I will call him Ludwig, after your father." The new mother and father stared down at their twins in joy and exhaustion from the long night.

6/17/1691  
19 years later.  
The sun began to rise as Ludwig journeyed home from a long night with his girlfriend. It was a village fair nearby and even if his brother Peter was the more offensive twin, he nevertheless stayed without a steady girlfriend and spent the festivals at home with the parents. Ludwig walked across the big green fields along a small creek enjoying the long walk home. The grass was covered with morning dew and the cold and clear air kept him awake. It was a great summer morning and a great night but when he saw his farm in the distance he could sense something was amiss. The gate to the courtyard was wide open and someone was lying on the ground. Ludwig began to run but his steps faltered when he found his father's body. Tears flooded his eyes immediately and his heart stopped when he realized Peter and his mother were missing. "Mother…?" He cried out but everything was dead silent. He ran into the house and immediately froze at the horrific sight in front of him. His mother's body was lying on the kitchen floor hacked to pieces. His stomach turned at this sight and he began to gag.  
"Oh my god...No! Mother...No!" Ludwig stuttered out as he tried to stabilize his rebelling stomach. After a minute he backed out of the room trying to focus on looking for his brother; silently praying for his safety.  
"PETER?...PLEASE ANSWER ME!" He screamed frantically and his whole body shook. When he ran through the house a painful scream echoed from his room in the upper floor. He ran as fast as he could and the wooden stairs creaked under his feet.

He rushed through the door and found his older brother on the floor holding his neck in pain. "Plea..se ...help m..e ..." Peter managed to choke out. The blood leaked between his fingers with every heart beat and the wooden floor was blood-soaken.  Immediately Ludwig took his shirt off to press it down on his brothers wound.  
"Take my hand. Everything is going to be fine. I am here now," He started to reassure Peter, his voice was shaking in fear and he kneeled beside him on the floor. "All will be fine, please stay with me." His voice now began to whimper as he took the already cold hand of his brother but Peter did not reply and the grip on Ludwigs hand loosened slowly and slipped away. Shocked Ludwig stared at his brother's bloodied face. "Peter?" He whispered out weeping before loosing his voice. His shoulders sagged, then sobs racked his body as he finally lost the restraint he had on his emotions and he gripped his twin tightly and screamed into his chest.

Hours had left before Ludwig moved again. He cleaned his brother’s bloodied face with warm water before picking him up and placing him gently next to his father outside the house. Then he steeled himself before he walked back inside to gather the remains of his mother before grabbing a shovel to bury his family behind the farm.  
Questions ran through his mind while he dug his family’s graves out in the field they had tended for years. Who did this and why? He had no idea what to do. Rain began to fall.  
As Ludwig dealt with the aftermath of the deaths of both his parents and his twin brother, the hands of fate were about to change his life forever.

When he laid his family members gently next to each other and covered their bodies with enough soil, he shuffled exhausted and drenched back to the farm. It was evening when Ludwig returned. Still shaking and his face as pale as a ghost. His eyes were red from crying. It was hard for him not to cry and the fear still gripped his insides like a vice. With mud-covered shoes he stumbled into the house and placed himself in front of the fireplace. It took a few minutes until he lit the fire. Then he lost his thoughts in the flames.  
Silence passed through the room. The flames flickered and crackled softly, giving him warmth and comfort. The rain bickered lightly against the window panes and as the sky became clear Ludwig saw the full moon shining and realized how much time had passed. But he did not think of sleeping. Weakly he trudged his way straight to an old solid cabinet. He opened the drawer and looked at a small box. Slowly, he let his fingers slip over the wooden surface before he picked it up. It was his father's tabacco box and he remembered his words.    
"Smoking soothes the soul." The words escaped his mouth when he sat heavily in a chair. His mother could not stand it when his father smoked but that did not matter anymore. He opened the box and the smell of tabacco mixed with the smell of wood hit his nose. Inside was a small leather bag, stuffed with tobacco, a couple of matches and an old pipe. He took the pipe, prepared everything, lit a match and took a deep breath. First he coughed his lungs out but after a few pulls he had gotten used to it.  
"Father was right." He said to himself tired and rested his head on the kitchen table.  
-  
It was a loud clatter that Ludwig rudely ripped out of his sleep and he recognized the sound of feet walking outside in the courtyard. His guts cramped and he jumped up from his seat, grabbed a big knife from nearby and snuck to the front door. The stumbling steps came closer and became consistent like the ticking noise from a clock. His heart was racing and he felt his pulse quicken in his neck. Ludwig tightened his grip on the knife handle.  Suddenly the noise stopped and his imagination went wild when he pictured different scenarios.  
A shadow appeared in the doorway and got Ludwigs attention again. His breath stopped. That must be the murderer of his family. He would stab him and avange his family but the shadow vaniched as fast as it appeared and left a confused and startled Ludwig behind the door. His heart was in his mouth as he decided to step forward. The floorboards underneath his feet begun to squeak when he took a first step. Hastily he jumped out to surprise the attacker and when his feet touched the muddy wet ground he was alone. The courtyard was empty. There was nothing but the building nearby. Ludwig lingered for a moment and watched the property. Rain dripped from his forehead, mixed with his fear-sweat. It was quite dark and he could hardly see anything but as he least expected it, red glowing eyes appeared behind him and a hand grabbed his arm tightly. Terrified Ludwig turned around and stabbed the knife deep into the attacker's chest with a crackling noise. The red eyes vanished and the shadow lost its balance. Both fell on the wet ground. A loud and painful scream echoed through the courtyard. With trembling hands Ludwig still clasped the knife. And when he dared to open his eyes he could not believe what he saw. The man shook his body in pain and Ludwig was paralysed and watched him pull out the knife of his muddy chest. "YOU, YOU ARE DEAD!" Ludwig stuttered out when he found the courage to speak again.  
"Ludwig, what have you done?" The man asked with a bleating voice observing the blood dripping blade.  
"This can not be real. You are dead. YOU ARE DEAD PETER I BURIED YOU MYSELF!" Ludwig cried out and shook his head in disbelief. Ludwig turned away and began to talk to himself.  
"It must be a bad dream." He said over and over again.  
"I, I should be dead." Peter replied confused.  
His eyes wandered to the knife in his right hand and back to his wound in his chest, then he fainted attended by his brother's screams, "Peter!"

-  
The almost deceased found himself in his bed when he woke up. His vision was blurry but he could feel his brother’s hand at his head. Ludwig was sitting at his beside all the time and still completely confused and incredibly sorry about had happen. Ludwig could not stop to watch his brother. After minutes of silence Peter finally managed to speak as if he could read his twins mind full of tormenting questions he answered.  
"Late at night there was someone in our house I could hear someone talking to father and then there was a clatter. Mother was screaming this horrified shriek and and..." Peter took a shuddering breath before he continued and started to tramble. "It happened so fast. A man with brown hair and unnatural red glowing eyes stood in front of me baring his bloody fang like teeth. He grabbed my neck and strangled me. Before I could fight back he bit my neck. I, I could not move. He was too strong and I felt like paralyzed. The man forced me to the floor and started to laugh like mad. Then the bastard forced his own disgusting blood into my mouth before leaving me to die." Peter said with tears in his eyes. Ludwig stared at his brother completely speechless by his tale.  
The older twin began to speak again. "It was a vampire, Ludwig. One of those Monsters father always told us when we were young." Peter said naively.  
"Nonsense. Father always tried to scare us with this old  story when we were naughty. Especially you." Ludwig said quietly and shook his head, everything sounded to crazy to be true. But Peter got angry.  
"Tell me what happened then? I know what I saw Ludwig!" Peter snarled but Ludwig just stood up and walked to the door, he was sure that vampires did not exsist.  
"Please, do not leave Ludwig! I saw our mother's head next to me as I woke up. I still can smell the shed blood, it was everywhere. It was so cold, I thought I died, I was so scared, Please do not leave me again. Something happened to me and I have no idea what. It feels like a nightmare. I am a Monster, help me." Peter panicked. Tears ran down his cheeks and he buried his face in his hands. Moved by his brothers words, Ludwig began to cry.  
"Do not talk like that Peter, you are no Monster. I am sorry what I said and what I did to you. I do not want to lose you ever again." He stuttered out and put his brother into a tight hug. 

He held his cold body for a long time before placing a little kiss on his forehead. Slowly Ludwig stroke his twins dark long hair until their lips slowly sealed together into a soft kiss. Peter was surprised by Ludwigs behavior but he returned the kiss with pleasure. Now Ludwig knew why his brother was not interested in girls. Peter started to nip at Ludwig's neck and down to his chest. It was the first time the twins behaved like this but Ludwig were obviously aroused by Peter's touches.  
Peter began to suck and nip at Ludwig's erection and only a moment later Ludwig winced and moan escaped his throat.  
A little chuckle spilled from the eldest twin's mouth as their eyes met again.                             "What is funny?" Ludwig murmured and blushed hard. "Already done?" Said Peter with a smirk and pressed his face against his brother’s chest. Ludwig rolled his eyes. He knew it did not last long and it was embarrassing to him. "O shut up!" He replied and both began to laugh.


	2. The Curse

Ludwig could not sleep that night. Horrible nightmares tormented him and forced him to stay awake. Bathed in sweat he woke up and took a look around and realized that he had only slept for an hour. The sun was already rising and colored the sky in a light pastel blue. His brother slept peacefully and Ludwig watched him for a while. He had seen him die and yet he was lying next to him, sleeping like a baby, alive. What happened? Was everything just a bad dream? Would his parents be in their beds and sleep? Ludwig stood up quietly and left the room without a noise. Before he went into the kitchen, he threw a curious glance into his parents bedroom. Their bed was empty. Sad and disappointed, he went down the wooden stairs into the kitchen, took a piece of dry old bread and began to eat until a terrible scream erupted from the bedroom and Ludwig rushed up the stairs.  
"What happened?!" He asked and found his room filled with thick gray smoke and a grumpy Peter hiding underneath the bed, wrapped in his bedsheets.  
"The sun. Shut the window!" Peter coughed out. Immediately Ludwig tried to block the window with a large blanket to darken the room. As soon as it was dark enough and the smoke had vanished, Peter crawled out of his hiding place. The smell of scorched meat hit his nose. Peters skin was heavily burnt, from his left shoulder to his back. It was dark red and large blisters filled with fluid had formed across his skin.  
"Hold on I will get cold water and a cloth." Shocked by the sight Ludwig hurried out of the room. As he rushed back, Peter sat on the floor.  
"Do you believe me now?" Peter asked sulky.  
"Believe what?" Replied Ludwig while he put a cloth into water to cool down the burned flesh of his twin. "I am a vampire and soon I will murder humans and drain their blood!" Peter was upset but Ludwig started to laugh. "No, not in this life, my dear brother. Maybe something just ignited." Ludwig said but after he finished the sentence, he knew it was a lie. Actually he was afraid that his brother really did turn into a vampire and all the excuses would not last for long. Did vampires actually really exsist? It was a ridiculous notion but frightening at the same time and it was only a matter of time Peter acted strangely.  
During the next week he lost a lot of weight, fainted from time to time and became terribly pale. More as he was already. Ludwig began to worry and tried to feed him until he forced his brother to eat. Shortly thereafter Peter refused to eat completely. Also his temper changed and he became more angry. The twins argued a lot of times. During the daytime Peter began to hide from the sun in his brother's closet and so he began to stay awake all night. It was not easy for Ludwig to see his brother like that and it scared him a lot. And Peter was the only one who started to feel more comfortable than before. 

It was evening and the sun had already set, when the two brothers were sitting in the kitchen talking. Suddenly a soft knock at the front door let them grew nervous. They looked at each other wide eyed. "Ludwig, are you at home?" A soft woman’s voice called from the outside and Peter shook his head he did not want his brother to open. But Ludwig did not care and crept to the door. It was Anna, his girlfriend and that took a load off his mind. Suddenly he remembered her birthday, he totally forgot about. He buried his face in his hands. He could not send her away, not today. She would never forgive him. But on the other hand, she would die of fear, at Peter's sight. By this time Peter was only skin and bones, it was a miracle that he was able to move at all. Peter looked very frightening with his pale skin, emaciated to the bones and his red eyes.  
"Shit, it is Anna. Do not let her in." Peter hissed next to Ludwig who startled.  
"We had a date today, and I forgot about it." He whispered, plagued by guilt feelings and he tried to convince his brother. "What if our perents murderer is still out there? I do not want her to die." He whispered.  
"I said no. Do not open the bloody door!" Peter hissed urgendly, but at the end Ludwig would not leave his girlfriend outside in the dark, it was too dagerous.  
"Hide! If she sees you like that, she will get scared." He whispered to his twin, gesticulated him out of the room. Dissapointed Peter gave him a stern look and went upstairs.  
When Ludwig opened the door a young woman with coppery wavy hair jumped into his arms immediately. "Oh Ludwig!" She said in relief and Ludwig hugged her tightly. He was so happy to see her.  
"I have been worried about you. Where have you been?" Anna mumbled while she pressed her lips on his. He lost himself in her kiss before he answered thoughtful and he decided to lie to her.  
"I had to help my father in the field, mother does not feel well. It took us weeks, I am sorry." Ludwig said and he could hardly look into her eyes. He was a bad liar and she knew that, yet he hoped she would believe him.  
"Oh no, I am sorry. Is it something serious?" She asked worried.  
Ludwig took a deep breath. "Well it, I should take you home now before you get infected." Ludwig attempted to guied her out but she stopped and gave him a stern look.  
"You are lying to me. You forgot about my birthday, you kept me waiting in front of the door, you did not show up for a long time. There is another girl, right?" She said and his eyes widened, he had expected everything but not such an association. Out of the sudden she slipped aside and stomped up the creaking wooden stairs. The look at her face commanded him to follow. When she arrived in his room she began to rummage inside his waredrobe. "Anna Please, do not do this." Ludwig tried to sooth her but it was not that easy to calm her down once she was upset.  
When Ludwig saw his brothers red eyes gleeming underneath his bed Anna noticed it and stepped slowly in front of his bed to take a look. Immediately he blocked her and tried to dissuade her but as resolutely as she was she sank down to her knees. Peter slid backwards until his back touched the wall. Now there was no way out, she would see Peter's red eyes and start to panic but before she could take a look, Ludwig had an idea and dropped his pants immediately. Surprised by her boyfriend she looked up and gave him a grin and before he could say anything she sank her mouth down on him.

-  
Hours later Peter was still underneath the bed. With every second his brother fucked his girlfriend, he felt like he stuck in his twins body. His pulse pumped between his legs by all he had witnessed hours ago. As if he could have taste the salty tears and sweat and the lust on his own tongue. The scent of lust made him want his brothers girlfriend.  
Peter listened to her breath and touched himself. He felt like he lost his mind. How could this be? He could not stand her at all. A soft rustle got his attention and when she turned around, her arm slipped off the bed and hung right in front of Peters face. A shiver ran down his spine. He could spot her veins pumping blood and the rushig sound of her pulse got louder with every heartbeat. It made his flesh crawl and his throat got dry, he was thirsty.  
Suddenly his gum began to ache. He closed his eyes and covered his mouth with his hands the fulgurant pain was unbearable. Suddenly four razor-sharp fangs pressed through his upper jaw pushing out the already existing teeth violently. He had trouble not to scream and sweat formed on his forehead. Blood flooded his mouth and he spat out four teeth and a pool of blood.  
Seconds later, the pain stopped immediately and gave way to an intense thirst. The thirst let him slid forward to her arm. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, her scent was seductive. The heat from her skin seemed to pulsate next to his cold cheeks. Then he started to taste her pale and saltily skin carefully with the tip of his cold, bloodied tongue. Blood mixed with saliva ran out of his mouth. He began to lick on her palm and his blood wetted her skin until she suddenly pulled her arm away. His sharp fangs accidentally cut her hand and he froze. 

Anna was tired and confused about the deep cut on her hand. Slowly she grabbed underneath the bed wondering what had cut her.  
Out of the sudden Peter grabbed her arm and pulled her underneath the bed. Ludwig startled out of his sleep by Anna's screams. She lay on the floor and screamed her lungs out, when she felt sharp teeth sink into her arm, trying to get her arm out of Peter's vice like grip.  
With all his strength Ludwig tried to help her but he released his grip from her other arm as her other shoulder dislocated. When he spotted his brothers glowing eyes and fangs deep in her fleshLudwig backed off. He was shocked by the view. Now Ludwig did not know what really happened that time and all he remembered was the feeling of somebody carrying his body. When the twins eyes met Ludwig felt like hypnotized, he had no control over his body anymore. His body moved by itself and he all he could do was to watch everything without any control over his motions. He stopped her screams with his hands and pinned his girlfriend down roughly. Her rib cage cracked under his knees and she had no chance against his strength. When Peter's fangs pierced her flesh for the first time he was thrilled. The thick hot blood ran down his throat and the rusty taste inebriated him. It was the best his tongue had tasted in his whole life. Pure life rushed through his vains and he wanted more. The bones in her arm bent as Peter sucked the blood from her, squeezing her flesh for every little drop of her tasty blood draining her completely. It was not long before her body cringed and Peter released her from his grip. Ludwig who had control over his body again crawled away from her. A bunch of feelings flooded his chest and he began to shake when he realized what he had done.  
Also Peter slipped backwards against the wall and began to quiver. Tears ran down his face and he cried out for mercy, overwhelmed by the deep grief of his twin he suddenly felt in his chest when Ludwigs feelings hit his heart like his own but it was too late, she was dead. He did not want that to happen, it was a mistake he immediately regretted. He watched his brother leave without a word, when Ludwig returned he dropped the shovel in front of Peter with a mixture of emotions on his face. The message was clear, clean up the mess you made.  
Right after that Ludwig hurried out of the house and threw up into the courtyard. Now he could no longer deny that his brother had become a monster.


	3. The Stranger

After Peter had buried Anna, he hid in the darkest corner in the back of the barn. His body was trembling all over and he felt sick. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead and his stomach twisted violently before he regurgitated the first pool of coagulated blood. Annas screams thudded in his ears and he throw up a second time. Crying he pressed himself in the corner and closed his eyes.

When the morning came, Ludwig came to look for him until he finally found him in the barn. From a distance he saw the eyes of his brother began to gleam, like the eyes of a cat reflected by the light. It was dark but Peter could see his twin clearly. "Stay away Ludwig, do not come closer." He said afraid, but Ludwig did not listen and approached.  
"Peter, it is cold in here. You will catch your death." Ludwig said, his voice was hoarse from crying, in fact, Peter had even heard his crying down to the barn. His brother's words infuriated Peter.  
"Say brother, how can you worry about me after what I did to you?" Eaten by self-hatred he cried again. Even if he had never liked Anna, she did not deserve death. Ludwig took a deep breath and began to move. But with every step he approached, stabbed Peter's heart like a knife and let him fell against the wall. An incredible grief spread in his chest again. It was the way Ludwig felt about his loss and now where he could feel Ludwig's breath on his skin and his heart was about to explode.  
It took him a while but then he realized, he could feel his brothers emotions like his own when he was close to him. Maybe it was the bound of twins. Maybe the power of a vampire. He did not know yet. His face was buried in his hands when Ludwig started to speak again. "Look Peter, you are my brother, my twin brother, all I have left, I need you." Ludwig said and went to hug his cold body.  
The touch was so intense to him that Peter burst into tears within seconds. "I am so sorry." Peter screamed in his brothers chest. "I know, me too, I should have listened to you." Ludwig replied and began to cry too.  
Even if he could never forget what Peter had done, he could not change it anymore and he would still love him more than anything else in the world. 

-  
October came fast, the days grew shorter and the leaves turned brown. In the next few days Ludwig took care of the fields to collect food, at night his brother helped him. Peter's blood thirst had grown stronger with each passing day but he refused every single drop of blood. He had not drunk anything since that night with Anna and Ludwig began to worry again. Blood brought a normal skin tone back into his face and it seemed to be the only thing that would keep him alive, if he could call it like that. And so Ludwig began to procure blood for his brother. First, he took his own blood, but because he was so scared to become a vampire himself, he cut his arms and filled it into a mug. But soon Ludwig became sick from the blood loss and that was the moment he began to provide victims for his twin. 

The following month Anna's father came to the twins to ask for his daughter but Ludwig, who had become thinner and paler in time, because he barely ate and rarely saw the sun, denied having seen her and sent him away. Ludwig behaved unusually, he was rude and introverted and that made her father wonder. So it came how it had to come. He suspected Ludwig for the disappearance of his beloved daughter. 

Her father left the court warily to return to the farm again right after the sunset. Armed with a shotgun and a lamp he hid in front of the house. A short time later he watched Ludwig leave the barn with a bloody scarf. His suspicions grew when he saw this and he knew he had to search in the barn. Cautiously he went through ther barn door and lit his lamp. A whimper in the back of the barn cought his attention and the father was sure, that was his daughter.  
  
He approached carefully, the straw rustled under his feet and with every step he clasped his lamp more.  
"Anna dear, I am here to take you home." He said quietly. His voice woke the young vampire. His back appeared in the light. The father held up his lantern and the body of a woman, quivered on the straw covered ground in front of him. "What did you do to my daughter, you pig?" The father yelled and was determined to avenge his daughter. He aimed his shotgun at him.  
Peter turned around with a big grin and his eyes flashed blood-red, then he bared his blood-dripping fangs. Peter's strength was back again and his thirst was stronger than before. Shocked by the sight the father dropped the lamp and backed until he collided with somebody. He turned around and looked straight into Ludwig's cold eyes. "Help me boy." He implored but Ludwig just grabbed him tight and pushed him back to his twin. "It will be over soon." Ludwig said without any emotions as the fangs of his twin pierced into the fathers old skin.

One month later.

One evening Ludwig noticed someone near the house. He was out on the field, harvesting the last food with a sickle, when he recognized a person. Ludwig paused for a moment, then he tried to sneak closer. It was a man with a long coat and a hat on, he was holding a crossbow and seemed to sneak around, looking left and right before he hurried into the courtyard.  
Ludwig knew he had to go for his brother immediately. He started to sprint and when he passed through the gate he heard screams. When he entered the barn he startled. His brother kneeled on the ground, a young man stood right behind him. Somhow he had managed to defeat him although Peter was two times stronger than Ludwig now. He was not much older than Ludwig and Peter but he spoke like an old man.  
"Stay, bub, or else I will decapitate this vampire on the spot." He said with an accent Ludwig did not recognize, and aimed a crossbow at him. His heart was in his throat, the fear of losing his brother made him freeze.  
The stranger helt a thin and shiny string around his brothers neck and Peter hissed every time he tightened the grip.  
"You and your vampire scum have taken enough lives." The stranger said and looked straight into Ludwig's eyes.  
"Please, do not harm my brother." Ludwig stuttered and chluchted the sickel behind his back. The stranger watched Ludwig closely and the sickel he had already spotted. Peter's neck now began to bleed as the stranger pulled the string more firmly and grinned.  
"So, you still want to protect this monster, right? You think he still is your brother?" The stranger asked astounded. Ludwig nodded and before he could open his mouth to answer the question the stranger interrupted him roughly by pulling the trigger of his crossbow.  
A terrible pain shot through his body and he sank to the ground. "And lights out!" The stranger laughed out before Ludwig fainted.


	4. The Travel

"Hey kid, come back." Ludwig heard the rattling voice of the man who had just shot at him. Within seconds, he felt the stinging pain shoot through his leg and he began to moan. Trembling, he looked down at himself and spotted the arrow that still stuck in his thigh. His face became white and he felt sick.  
"Do not be like that, it is only a little scratch." The stranger said annoyed by Ludwig's moaning and made fun of him.  
"I feel dizzy." Ludwig replied breathless and absent- minded, and his body tingled. Then he felt his twins hand on his shoulder. His head settled on Peter's lap but he did not realize it before. He looked around and noticed, they were still in the barn.  
But the biggest pain was not able to remove the thoughts of his brother. "Peter, are you alright?" Ludwig asked weakly and looked at his brother. Peter could not speak yet. The string the stranger had tied around his neck cut so deep that his vocal cords were damaged. Fortunately, Peter was able to regenerate himself, but this happened still very slowly. He helt his rutted neck and just nodded.  
"I was sure that bloody vampire would bite you boy, because of the nice fresh blood that runs out of your thigh." The stranger interrupted the twins roughly. Again Ludwig's eyes fell on his leg and he saw what the stranger was talking about. A big pool of blood had spread under him and Peter was kneeling in it. Now he knew why he felt so dizzy. In spite of everything, Ludwig disliked the way the stranger talked about his brother. After all that had happened, Ludwig still saw his brother as a human being and nothing or no one would change this. And as if the stranger knew exactly what Ludwig was thinking, he replied.  
"Your brother is no longer a human, I have found the bodies he had drained and that you buried for him. Humans do not drink blood. Sooner or later, you will be the next."  
Ludwig felt the anger rise in him.  
"Your mother probably dropped you too often, when you were a baby? Peter is my brother you asshole! He would never hurt me." Ludwig fended.  
The stranger replied quickly; "Do you really think that a "vampire" is interested in family?" He spatted.  
"Enough!" Peter, who could speak again, roared deeply at the stranger who aimed his crossbow at him again.  
"O boy, I only need one shot to kill both of you." The stranger dropped.  
Ludwig's heart was in his throat, he knew he could do nothing against the stranger, who had already won against his brother, who was a 100 times stronger than himself.  
But he had to protect Peter in every way, no matter what. Ludwig took a deep breath and decided to surrender, without waiting for a decision of his brother.  
"Alright, what do you want from us?" Ludwig asked reluctantly. The stranger shook his head with a grin and said. "Not 'us', you." And pointed a finger straight at Ludwig. 

-  
Loud clutter of filled glass bottles penetrated the house at night, followed by a relieved buzz, when he found what he was looking for.  
The strangers hand gripped a small honey-brown bottle of mead gently. His head had disappeared in the capboard and Ludwig watched him with a questioning face. Weakened, he lay on the bench beside the kitchen table next to his brother. Peter could not hide his dislike for him, his eyebrows met in the middle of his forehead as he watched the stranger while he messed up everything.  
With a grin on his face and the mead in one hand the young brown-haired man turned around and raised his eyebrows.  
"Did you say something, kid?" He asked and Peter grunted.  
"You spoke of vampires and werehounds!" Peter was pissed but the stranger just chuckled and moved in Peter's direction to stop right in front of him. He was taller than Peter, almost a head and had to look down to him.  
"It is called wereWOLVES, not werehounds, now come on and help me put your brother on the table." The stranger said gruffly while he looked deep into Peter's dark red eyes and shrugged his head. The vampire huffed and went to carry his brother on top of the kitchen talbe.  
"What is happening here?" Ludwig was about to ask, but before he could open his mouth, both lifted him up.  
The stranger opened the bottle with his teeth, pressed his leg firmly on the table, removed the arrow with a hitch and poured the sweet alcohol over the open wound, to desinfect it. Again a sharp pain pierced through Ludwig's thigh and he let out a scream. The alcohol burned relentlessly through the open flesh.  
"That should be enough by now, kid. You dont have any better stuff here." The stranger added. A stronger alcohol would have been better to disinfect the wound. Anything but med would have been better, so he could only hope that the wound would not inflame, sooner or later. Peter held Ludwig's hand and stroke his head. He did not feel well, when he saw his brother in so much pain. 

The stranger turned around and went to the hearth to take a piece of glowing metal out of the fire. Ludwig noticed it was his knife. The blade glowed and radiated an unpleasant heat that Ludwig felt already above his skin before he removed the fabric of his pants. "If the liqueur hurts already, wait until I finally cauterize your wound. Take this to bite on, kid." The stranger said and put a piece of wood between his teeth, but Ludwig just watched the glowing blade moving to his thigh with wide eyes. His heart was racing so fast it almost jumped out of his chest. Even Peter closed his eyes. With a hiss, the glowing blade rankled through the flesh and let it melt until the wound was completely closed, leaving the smell of stewed meat. Ludwig's voice failed, he screamed his lungs out, sweat dripped from his forehead.  
"I am fed up that you always call me "kid", so stop that you bloody son of a bitch." With a pain-distorted face, he replied in a thin voice. No politeness anymore and the stranger began to laugh.  
His head fell roughly on the wooden table, again lights out. 

 

The younger twin woke up in his bed and stared at the ceiling. It took him a moment to recognize his own room. He took a deep breath and rubbed his face. His leg ached bad as he took a move. He turned on his side and stared at the door. It was dark already, he must have slept the whole day, and for a brief moment he had banished the stranger and his brother completely from his thoughts. Until that moment he noticed a loud clang from down stairs. He jumped up and hobbled down as fast as his limp leg could carry him.  
"That is bullshit, my brother is not going anywhere do you understand?!" Peter's roars echoed through the house and it almost looked like Peter was going to beat the stranger soon. Ludwig jumped between them.  
"What is going on?" He asked quickly and Peter's eyes glowed with rage, when he replied loudly,  
"There is not much left until I murder that son of a bitch!" Ludwig's questioning eyes wandered to the stranger, who was sitting calmly and unimpressed in the chair smoking his pipe.  
"Empty promises." He mumbled provocatively with a smirk.  
"He is talking about the weredog shit again and wants you to give him company!" Peter snarled.  
"Your "brother" is afraid to stay alone." The stranger replied amused.  
"Enough!" Peter bared his fangs and turned on the stranger who quickly aimed his crossbow at the him. Peter stopped, the stranger was well prepared and stayed calm his finger gently stroked the trigger.  
"Enough, both of you!" Ludwig snarled, his nerves were raw, first his leg and now this. A second later Peter turned around with his grumpy face and went to the fire place.  
"Now stranger, tell me what is going on here." He asked and sat down in front of him.  
"His name is Joseph." Peter said from behind, his voice sounded very offended.

Again a grin spread across Joseph's face and he began to explain.  
"The monster who murdered your parents and changed your brother, I hunt him and his track has led me to you." He said. Ludwig looked over to his brother, who still stared into the fire, he must have told him about it. Joseph seemed to read Ludwig's thoughts but it was only well guessed.  
"Yes, Peter told me everything about your parents. First I thought the vampire I was looking for is your brother but I quickly realized that he is not even an eighth as strong. This vampire is no ordinary vampire and there is only one way to annihilate him, and for that I need your help Ludwig." He said calmly.

Peter clenched his fists, Joseph's words made him. angry, but he kept looking into the fire.  
The stranger continued,  
"Let me explain to you. There is more supernatural in the world than anything else, and every creature has its counterpart like light, dark, water, fire, good, evil etcetera. And there is a counterpart to the vampire, in our case an ancient one. It is lycanthropy." Joseph said.  
"So werewolves?" Ludwig asked confused and Joseph nodded contentedly. "Actually Lycans, similar to werewolfs but more powerful than any werewolf or vampire in the world. I think that every vampire will turn back into a human, when we defeat the ancient creature. And I need your help to defeat him." Joseph said and took a sip of his mead. 

"I said NO! He will not go with you if I do not." Peter interrupted loudly.  
"Why does he have to stay?" The younger twin asked.  
But Joseph rolled his eyes.  
"Because he would only impede us. We would be on the road for weeks, even months. Not to mention the trail of corpses he would leave behind and did you forget your brother dies in daylight? We need daylight, it is too dangerous to travel at night." Joseph argued annoyed.  
Ludwig got it and thought about Josephs words.  
"Do you want revenge or not, do you want to help your brother? I. Can not do it my own, Ludwig. I need your help." Joseph asked. That was the question. Did he have a choice? To find and bury victims for his brother, throughout his life, was not the life he had imagined. Allthough, it took him a moment to make a decision.  
"I am packing my bag." Was the only sentence he spoke before he stood up and hobbled upstairs. Peter was shocked and he ran after him.  
"Ludwig, this guy is a fraud. What did you think?" He said dissapointed, when he caught up with his brother.  
"Do you have a better idea?" Ludwig asked dry. Peter shook his head and replied. "Please, tell me you do not believe him." 

"I have to try."


	5. Chapter 5

-  
"I'll be back in a month." With these words Ludwig said goodbye to his brother and pressed him into a thight hug before he could say anything. A thousand thoughts ran through Peter's mind and lay heavy on his tongue. Ludwig looked into eyes that hardly believed that the man he wanted to follow was a fraud. But Ludwig made a decision. A decision he should regret sooner or later. Voiceless Peter looked at the stranger who separated them and watched his twin disappear on the horizon. As the sun rose, Peter crawled into his brother's bed, hid under the blanket and began to cry. He had a bad feeling about this- "Why did I let him go?"

Joseph and Ludwig traveled through the land, far from any semblance of civilization. Only a few people crossed their path but the further they traveled, the more people began to speak a different language and Ludwig did not understand a single word of it.  
The young men had been traveling for two weeks, and Ludwig missed his brother more than ever. His mind was eaten up by fear and worry, was Peter well and did he hide from the sun? He wished this trip would be over as soon as possible.  
-  
"Are you alright, kid?" Joseph asked after they had been traveling for some time. He watched Ludwig, who was sitting heavily in the saddle. "Yes I think so." Ludwig did not answer convincingly. Joseph knew that his thoughts were with his brother and was relieved that he was not with them. "Tell me what you are up to, Joseph." Ludwig sounded sad and Joseph was afraid that he wanted to get out and go back to his twin. "We are on our way across the border to find Lycans, they can help us fight the vampire who cursed your brother. I have known them all my life. They are watching over us and the people in this part of the country. You will like them and also they know a lot about curses." Joseph tried to make his words sound as positive as possible to plant hope in the young twins broken heart. "And why do you need me for that?" Asked Ludwig. "The more the merrier, and besides you want to take revenge on this monster, after all he did to you and your family, right?" The more Ludwig listened to his words, the more he thought of his brother's words and the distrust that his brother had for Joseph. But something in him made him hope. Hope that Joseph was right and the cure he wanted to find for his brother's curse. Hope that Joseph successfully had planted. Ludwig nodded and Joseph took a deep breath in relief.  
-  
When the night came Joseph led Ludwig deep into a forest. Ludwig was confused becaus they usually sought shelter in a tavern when it became night, but now they were in the middle of a forest clearing far off the street. Ludwig felt queasy. "What are we doing here, Joseph? You said we are not safe outside at night" Ludwig stuttered. The darkness obviously scared him. "Do not worry, kid, we are in Lycan territory now, nothing will happen here. As I said, I know the Lycans and they watch over us." Joseph said, his eyes still focused on the surroundings. Even when he was afraid, Ludwig had no chance to change this situation and so he lay down by the bonfire, Joseph had lit a few minutes before.  
The night was starry and cold attended by the sound of steady clitter and an almost full moon that lighted up the sky. "Only one day left, and we will arrive." Joseph said and poked the smoldering wood underneath the rabbits he had caught. "Sleep now, I take the first watch tonight." Said Joseph and Ludwig did what he was told. At least he tried to.  
An hour had passed and the fire glowed softly in front of Joseph leaving a red shine in his face. A soft howl in the distance ripped him out of his thoughts so he looked around and finally spotted something in the forest. Joseph made sure that Ludwig was asleep and silently snuck from the clearing and the light of the fireplace into the dark. Sidling through the branches and bushes deeper and deeper into the woodland where he suddenly stopped in front of a pair of shining white eyes. Immediately he cowered. He was not afraid, he seemed to know what was in front of him and when he lowered his head a young woman appeared and made her way out of the shadows into the moonlight that fell through the trees. She was beautiful, young and only her long silver-white hair covered her undressed body. The moonlight lit up her pale ivory like skin and the long and thin scars that covered her body. Joseph did not dare to look up.  
The foliage rustled under her bare feet when she stopped in front of his long curly hair that fell over the foliage and a still childlike voice sounded. "Joseph, you finally returned. Who is the boy you brought us? His scent is delicious and yet he smells like a vampire." She said and her eyes shone eerily in the dark. Joseph tried to lower his head deeper to show his submissive Ness before he spoke.  
"He could be the right one, mother." He mumbled into the ground.  
"We will see." She said skeptically and cast one last glance at the almost full moon before she vanished into the dark woods.  
"One last day."


	6. The Golden Forest

"I am glad nothing happened to us last night." Ludwig said in relief. "I said we are safe in this part of country. You have to trust me." Replied Joseph. "It is just." But Ludwig stopped to talk, he did not want to argue with his compenion. The last night was cold and he was frozen to the bones and to make matters worse, it had snowed too. Well, it was early november. The two men were already on the road for so long and Ludwig missed his brother very much. He hoped that everything would end soon. Find a cure and go back to his brother finally. He had hardly slept on the hard ground and was tired as well. His back hurt as he got on his horse.  
As a hunter, Joseph was used to camping and the cold. Easily he jumped on his horse.  
Joseph noticed Ludwig's sight. "It won't be long before we arrive." Joseph said. "Soon you will see your first lycan. They are magnificent creatures. They watch over the country and people who give them food and other offers and the lycans keep the monsters away from them in return. Trust me, the lycans know how to help you." There was it again, his 'Trust me' Ludwig had heared for a thousand times on this trip now, he did not know how to think about it anymore. Should he ignore it or worry? He finally decided to ignore it. Joseph tried to embellish his words and hopefully distract Ludwig from his thoughts and homesickness that could change his opinion every second. Ludwig was not enthusiastic about this trip from the beginning and Joseph knew it, but he had no choice. He had to help his brother. He promised. But Joseph had something else in mind and hid a huge secret.  
"How do you know all that?" Ludwig asked curiously.  
"When you are a hunter you learn and see a lot of things." Joseph replied. 

A short time later, they came to a forest. The trees were bare and black and snow covered the ground. Their horses were afraid and Ludwig had trouble keeping his horse calm.  
"From now on we have to walk." Joseph said and got off his horse.  
"What is here and why are the horses so scared?" Ludwig asked worriedly.  
Joseph turned to him.  
"This is the Lycan forest. We call it the Golden Forest. In autumn you can see why, the trees have yellow leaves and it looks like pure gold when they cover the ground." Joseph's story sounded beautiful, the most beautiful thing he had heared in months but he also knew that when the horses behaved like this, that would not mean anything good. They left the horses in front of the forest and went inside.  
Ludwig took a few steps and yellow leaves appeared under his footprints. It made him smile, Joseph was right, they looked like gold. A golden ground carefully covered by the fresh fallen snow from last night. And there was something else that Ludwig noticed as they trudged deeper into the forest. Other footprints. Paws. Wolf tracks, but three times bigger than those of an ordinary wolf. A little fear rose in him and his stomach turned when he saw the big paws. He imagined what an animal would look like that had such big paws.  
"Uhm Joseph, what does a Lycan look like?" Ludwig asked slightly worried but Joseph stopped and put his hand on Ludwig's chest to stop him too. His eyes wandered through the forest, seeking and he found what he was looking for, not too far away.  
A cabin in the middle of the forest.  
"We arrived." Joseph said. 

The cabin was big and completely made of wood but Ludwig first realized how big it was when he stood right in front of it. Hare skins were stretched on sticks beside the entrance. It had several floors and the snow lay peacefully on the roof. On the terrace in front of the front door stood a bench and wooden wind chimes hung from the ceiling. It looked very inviting, yet there was a disturbing silence in the air.  
First the place seemed abandoned but then a petite teen girl ran out of the door and Jumped into Josephs arms to put him into a tight hug.  
Her eyes wandered to Ludwig when she took a step back. The first thing Ludwig realized was her white eyes. She seemed to be blind but she did not behave that way. The second thing he realized was her white hair. Unnatural for a girl in her age.  
She obviously was younger than Ludwig but there was something wrong with that which Ludwig was about to find out soon.  
Joseph held back a little and did not show his excitement but he was glad to see her. That was a very warm welcome, almost a little exaggerated. When she looked straight at Ludwig he felt his face turn red. She was cute. She was very cute. But Ludwig rejected this thought immediately.  
"Qui es-tu beau?" She purred at him but he did not understand a single word. As small as she was, she stood directly in front of him. Her pale eyes pierced right through his soul and his throat became dry. A strange heat rose in him or was she the one who radiated that heat that he only knew from animals?  
"She asked, who you are." Interjected Joseph to help out and tore Ludwig out of his thoughts.  
Ludwig cleared his throat but he just stuttered out hoarse words. "I am Ludwig." He said and Joseph had to hold back his laugh.  
She turned back to Joseph who instantly stopped laughing and began to speak in a more serious tone. "He is from Germania?" She almost seemed to be shocked as if she did not like it. Ludwig did not know what was happening but the mood seemed to change.  
"I wanted to surprise you." Joseph smiled and tried to reassure her. The girl did not like his rebellious nature. He could do his jokes with someone else, not her. But effortlessly she gave him a fake smile and turned her head back to the young twin.  
"That is a beautiful name, Ludwig. A beautiful name for a handsome man like you. My name is Evelyn." She said with an accent before she left inside and called the men to follow.  
"Looks like you do not have to learn a new language." Said Joseph with a grin and patted his shoulder. "What language is that?" Ludwig askes quietly. "French." Joseph whispered. "The language of love."

They went inside and she guided the young men to a large wooden table. The room was discreetly decorated and dark. Two other men entered the room a few minutes later. They looked very strong and were both a head taller than Ludwig and Joseph. One of them had a long scar across his face. He looked menacing and Ludwig did not dare to speak anymore. Joseph seemed to know them and did not pay any attention but Ludwig could not take his eyes from that scar. It looked deep and was obviously badly stitched before it healed.  
A few minutes later, Evelyn joined them again and offered them drinks and Ludwig was easily startled. His thoughts on this scar were too deep. How did he get it and what did it give him? Of course, Evelyn immediately noticed his sight.  
"Do not stare at him like that. It is impolite." Evelyn said with her french accent and put a mug of mead in front of each of them. Ludwig apologized immediately. It was not really polite to stare at the man like that, but the scar did not let him go and even if he did not look at it anymore he still thought about it.  
An awkward silence spread across the room but after a while Joseph began to speak.  
"I brought him with me because he's looking for Lycans. Ludwig needs help." He said and the man with the huge scar began to laugh but only one glance from Evelyn made him stop as fast as he began.  
"You do not say." Evelyn replied, her eyes shone but her face seemed not to show any emotion. It was so dark in the room that he could barely see his own hand but Ludwig thought he had seen a glow in Evelyn's eyes that did not belong into eyes of a mortal being.  
"Why on earth would anyone look for Lycans, voluntarily? Even if he needs help." She said with her sweet french accent and watched Ludwig closely who blushed again and took a sip from his mead.  
"I really need help and Joseph told me they know what to do." Ludwig replied a little nervously. He was afraid to talk about his brother and remained silent. Evelyn kept looking at him and also watched Joseph that dumped his mead like water.  
Ludwig began to feel uncomfortable. He was getting hot and cold. Droplets of sweat formed on his forehead and he felt sick. And again Ludwig saw a glow in Evelyn's eyes. He did not imagine it or did he? Was she a lycan? And Joseph and the other men too? But Joseph felt uncomfortable, too. Slowly he dropped from the chair and before Ludwig could help him, he also fell from his chair.  
"Captivating how fast Bella Donna works. Only a tiny bit of the black berry is enough to stun, but the same amount of a leaf from the same plant kills within minutes." Evelyn said and bent down to stroke Ludwigs head. 

"Fuck, Peter was right."


	7. The Ritual

The recovery of Ludwigs senses was accompanied by a terrible feeling of sickness. He found himself in a small and cold room, lying on a cot. His hands and feet were tied and his body ached too much to move. Ludwig's breathing was heavy and his heart was racing but soon the effect of the poison which Evelyn had given him would fade away. Carefully he looked around but the room was empty except for him. Ludwig saw bare smeared stone walls and a brown earthen floor in a dim light but Joseph was nowhere to be seen. He probably was in a cold vaul and he would rather not imagine what was smeared on those walls. As he lay there in the cold, he began to tremble, the cold was unbearable. Only a half-burned candle in a metal lamp edged with stained glass gave the room a little light, but it was too small to warm him or anything else up. The only door to this room was made of wood and it seemed to be locked so there was no chance to escape.  
In the distance he heard voices. Different voices of men. Crying and whimpering but there was one voice that echoed louder through the vault. It was a female voice roaring in rage. Ludwig did not even had to listened carefully, he could hear everything she was screaming clearly.  
"You think you are smart, do you? You think you can betray me? You will see what you get. If you ridicule me ever again in front of my pack, I will shred you and the rest of your miserable family! Do you understand me?! And if you make only one miserable joke again then I will bite your tongue off!" Evelyn's voice had a very special signatur. She yelled her lungs out like a spoiled brat that did not get what she wanted.  
Then it became quiet. It was scary down there and Ludwig was close to tears. He was freezing and feeling ill and he was afraid to see his brother never again. Even if Peter wanted to find him or save him some day, he would surely have been dead for a long time before he got saved. His brother did not even know where to look for him. It was hopeless.  
Suddenly Evelyn entered the room and Ludwig cringed so hard that his heart almost jumped out of his chest. He closed his eyes and flinched when he felt her warm hand on his head.  
"Why are you so unruly? I'm not biting you." She giggled. "Hands off!" He hissed and gave her a stern look but she just smirked and bend over him.  
"I will tell you a little story Ludwig. You remind me of me when I was the same age as you, well, I was a little younger. Fivteen actually. I was stolen by a woman named Céleste when I was little. I did not know that she was a Lycan then. She raised me like her own child, probably because she could not have her own children. But her pack did not accept me after she changed me.  
The females chased me because I became a rival. I have to add that only female Lycans can become Alpha and every female in that pack wanted to become the next Alpha.  
The males abused me every night and Céleste did nothing. I hated her for what she did to me and every single member of her pack and now I see the same hate in your eyes. But I will tell you something. This hate makes you stronger and gives you incredible power.  
I avenged myself. I slashed every one of them, they were not able to recover themselves and managed to kill the Alpha. I tore up her rip cage and ate her heart whereupon I became the Alhpa and created my own pack.  
From all the boys down here, I like you the most Ludwig. You are slim and you have beautiful eyes, not to forget your beautiful black hair. You are so handsome and soon you will be mine. In no less than six hours you have the chance of attending the greatest ceremonie of our pack.  
I have great hope in you. You know, It is not easy to become a Lycan. All the other men died before they could change, and it's very hard to find new males for my pack." She said in a sad way and turned away from him. Ludwig was getting scared. He has never wanted to run away so badly as in this moment. Not even when he lost his family.  
"What are you talking about?" Ludwig asked anxiously.  
"I'm talking about to change you into a Lycan mon chèri. Joseph made it easy for me. In this country are hardly any suitable men left for my pack. The farmers simply do not produce enough offspring anymore and it takes decades until they are fully grown. Joseph traveled far and he attracted the other men just like you, and they followed him, just like you. So young, so naive. Did he also tell you about an ancient vampire he wants to fight?" She said and Ludwig's eyes grew big and the hate faded into hopelessness.  
"Sweet of you, that you have so much hope to find a cure for your brother. Yes, exactly, Joseph told me about your brother. Twins. I would love to have two of you. I love good looking twins. Too bad that he is a vampire already. But I have bad news for you my handsome. There is no cure for vampires. It was all in vain. Well, not for me." Evelyn had to laugh and Ludwig remained silent. So this was his fate, tricked by a stranger in his hope to save his beloved brother. She was right, he was naive and stupid. Tears filled his eyes and blurred his view. This time he did not move when she ran her hand through his black curly hair and left a soft kiss on his forehead.  
"Mmh I love your scent. You will become a stunning Lycan." Evelyn said and left the room.  
When she closed the door Ludwig burst into tears and his crying mingled with that of the other boys.  
Six hours later the man with the big scar across his face, Ludwig had already seen in the cabin, roughly brought him into the middle of the forest. From the distance he saw other young men, bound and gagged, lying on a stone circle ground underneath the bright full moon. He also saw a group of five men standing around the big stone circle. That must have been Evelyn's pack. She stood right in the middle of the circle and looked up to the moon. After arriving the man forced Ludwig to his knees right in front of her. She began to speak, and the rest of her pack trembled in excitement. Ludwig was scared to death and he did not even listen to her speech. And again Joseph was nowhere to be seen. He looked into the eyes of the other men kneeling beside him, they were barely older than him and the panic was written in their faces. Neither of them seemed to know what happened next.  
By a hard kick in his ribs Ludwig was torn from his thoughts and noticed that his shackles were open as he dropped to the ground.  
"Run bastard!" The man who gave him the kick yelled at him. It was so cold that Ludwig could see his breath.  
Ludwig's fear took over and he began to sprint. The other men next to him also started running for their lifes.  
When Ludwig reached the edge of the forest, he was already out of breath. The ground was muddy and slippery because of the snow and the wet foliage underneath. One of the young men slipped and hit his head hard against a tree next to him. Right after he entered the forest terrible screams echoed from behind and what he saw was terrifying. Bodies burst and giant dog-like things crawled out of their bodies. Ludwig ran in panic through the dark woods only lighted up by the big full moon. Branches cut his arms and legs but he did not dare to stop.  
Suddenly one of the Lycans appeared right in front of him and he fell to the ground. He was shocked by the sight and his heart sank to his boots. The monster reared up in front of him, it was big. Huge teeth and claws, the eyes were pale and the snow-white fur shone in the moonlight and camouflaged perfectly with the snow on the ground. Was it Evelyn? The beast bellowed at him and although he could not feel his legs anymore out of sheer fear, he managed to stay up and run away.  
Ludwig ran back, over stick and stone. More screams echoed in the distans, both from humans and from Lycans but he could not see any of the other boys or Lycans except the Lycan behind him.  
Almost playful, the huge monster was running after him. It had to be Evelyn. He could not be wrong. Only she would move like that. But no matter how fast Ludwig ran, the beast ran faster. After a while he had to stop abruptly, right in front of him was a slope with a raging river underneath. He could not just jump down because he could not swim. He had never learned it and regretted it that moment. Although his fear of the big beast was bigger than his fear of drowning and as he dared to turn his head the white Lycan was already behind him. The beast pushed him further to the abyss. This time he could not run away and with a fast move the Lycan dug her knife-sharp claws right into his left arm. With a loud crack his bones shattered like dry wood and he screamed out louder than he ever did before.  
That is it, he thought by himself. The pain was stronger than his will. He would die right here without any chance to see Peter again. A thick stream of blood ran down his left arm and dripped to the ground before Ludwig fainted.  
Thick clouds covered the bright full moon and big raindrops shattered on his face and it seemed like all his strength had left him. For a split second he could see his brothers face flashed before his eyes and he felt his warm hand on his cheek. With his right hand he reached for his brother and touched his face.  
"Peter, I'm sorry, I can not make it home anymore, I'm so sorry." He said but Peter shook his head and hauled him up.  
"Come on, keep running." Peter's voice hit his ears and Ludwig opened his eyes but his situation became desperate, when the silhouette of his brother turned into the beasts torso.

Without realizing it his right hand groped his way over the wet ground which was streaked with roots and palm-sized stones.  
The rush of the river underneath him and the rain seemed to dim his senses or was it the pain and the blood loss? Because for one second he felt high enough to start throwing every little stone his hand touched at the Lycan.  
"You won't kill me you bloody cunt!" He yelled at her. Of course, the stones bounced off her like cotton balls but one of the stones hit her left eye and Ludwig took advantage of the brief moment she was distracted and let himself roll from the slope.  
The Lycan let out a horrific howl that hit his mark when the river took his anemic body away.  
The water was freezing cold as expected but his body seemed numb to everything around him. Almost drowning he grabbed after everything that jutted on the riverside and with his last strength he pulled himself out of the freezing water.  
Ludwig's body was trembling all over as he crawled through the dirt on the riverbank, coughing out the water that had flooded his lungs violently to fill his lungs with fresh oxygen again.  
He had only a few minutes of silence before he startled again, when he heard a loud howl. He tried to move a last time but he failed. With blurry eyes, he had to watch the white Lycan approach until he felt her hot breath on his neck. Whimpering and as weak as a kitten he lay in the mud as the pale beast ripped off his water-soaken shirt. She dug her shiny claws into his flesh and seemed to enjoy every inch she slit his skin. His blood stained her white fur and a last scream escaped his throat before he finally fainted.


	8. One Month

"Ludwig, wake up." A soft voice called him and a few seconds later his brothers face appeared in front of him followed by a warm embrace. Was he dead? He could feel his brother as if they were together again. If that was the death, it felt warm and soothing.  
Ludwig did not want to go back and he did not want to let his brother go but he noticed that everything must have been a dream. Suddenly everything blurred and he woke up. Incredible pain went through his body, pictures flashed before his eyes and he remembered everything. Again he could not move. It took him a few minutes to realize where he was.  
The pain made him sick and he emptied his stomach right next to the bed he lay in.  
Every move hurt. When he looked down on himself he got a shock. His left eye and entire torso was carefully bandaged and his left arm was splinted. He lay in a cosy bed but he could not enjoy it. Next to him was a small nightstand, a fictile bowl filled with water and a small candle lit the room in a soft light. Now he felt bad that he had puked on the floor. The room was cozy and tidy. Very different than Evelyn's vault.  
Somebody really seemed to care about him and for a moment he forgot what he recently had experienced. But a voice inside him warned him. It was too good to be true. Something was wrong here. Soon Evelyn would storm in and everything would start again.  
A soft knock at the door let him startle and the fear let him throw up again.  
"Hey." Fawn colored eyes looked at him in concern as a young woman with long dark hair entered the room and placed herself next to Ludwig. She quickly removed his vomit and cleaned everything. Then she took a rag and wet it. Her scent of lilac hit his nose when she dabbed his forehead with the wet cloth. First he flinched but the feeling of fear gave away to a reassuring feeling and his heartbeat slowed down. His forehead was hot, he seemed to get a fever and that was not a good sign.

The young woman took care of Ludwig and gave him food and water.  
"Pas de peur vous êtes en sécurité ici." She whispered with her lovely voice.  
"Unfortunately, I do not understand a single word you say." Ludwig replied weakly but she just gave him a shy smile.  
"Safe." She said in a broken accent and gesticulated with her hands that he had no reason to be afraid of.  
"Does that mean you understand me?" Ludwig asked surprised.  
She nodded timidly then he started to talk like a waterfall.  
"Where am I and what happened and..." Questions over questions stumbled out of him but his mouth was too fast for her.  
"Arrêtez!" She said with a smile and put her hand carefully on his mouth to stop him.  
"Joseph vous a amené ici." She replied and showed that he had brought him to her.  
Ludwig understood the name Joseph very well. Anger boiled up in him and his face turned red.  
"Joseph brought me here?" He asked astounded. She nodded. Ludwig was surprised and overwhelmed by anger at the same time.  
"Where is he?" He asked feisty and without thinking, he leaned forward but she just shook her head to let him know that he was not there. Carefully she put her hand on his chest and Ludwig dropped back onto his pillow. Everything seemed so unreal like a bad dream.  
And again pictures flashed before his eyes. Those pale eyes, those horrible fangs and knife like claws and the way Evelyn slit his torso. Ludwig's body was flooded with fear and anger and he tried to get up.  
"I have to go." He said hastily and her attempts to hold him down again failed, but his attempt to get up failed as well. The stitched wounds burst open and as the pain kicked in he dropped back to the mattress. His head sank into the pillow again and he felt his back and chest getting wet. The young woman hurried out of the the room. Fresh blood spread through the bandages like ink on paper. When the young woman returned she immediately took care of Ludwig's wounds.  
A sharp pain spread across his chest as she removed the sticky bandages. Then she took a long thread and a curved needle. Ludwig swallowed hard. He was quite pale from the sight. His eyes grew big and whether he wanted to or not, she had to re-sew his wounds.  
Before she started the first stitch she put a piece of wood between his teeth.  
"Mordre sur le bois, ça va faire mal maintenant." She said fast and when the needle pierced his flesh he began to scream.  
That evening she brought him food and stayed with him. Somehow they got along. The young woman spent a lot of time in his room. She showed him the scar on his face with a small mirror shard and was glad that his eye had not been injured. The scar started at his forehead and went down across his eyebrow, past the corner of his left eye to the middle of his cheekbone. It was well sewn and crusted with dried blood but it looked exactly like that scar of that man in Evelyn's cabin before she hunted him through the forest like a boar.  
The young woman watched him closely and became very sad. Also Ludwig realized something different. When he looked closely at the mirror shard, he saw that his eye color had changed. His eyes were no longer dark hazel but yellowish. The grief in his chest was indescribable.  
He would turn into what he hated the most now or if he could believe in the words of Evelyn he would die before he could change. No matter how it was all Joseph's fault. If he saw Joseph again, he would strangle him with his bare hand. The young woman noticed his grief and began to stroke his cheek.  
"Ne sois pas triste, beau." She said softly then she gave him a kiss.  
Her sweet lips tasted like honey and Ludwig sunk into her kiss although he was not in the mood. Her lips were so soft, just what he needed right now. She leaned forward and her long brown hair fell in his face and tickled him. She just tried to distract him from his pain and anger. It worked, he began to smile. Then she got up and let her dress slide from her shoulders. Gently she placed herself on top of him. Her skin was incredibly soft. Slowly he let his hand run over her thigh. Ludwig closed his eyes and let her move. Her small breasts teetered in the rhythm when she became faster.  
"I will not last long if you continue like this." He said groaning but she just giggled and continued. Her skinny body lolled lasciviously on his when she pressed her hips tight against his. His breath became heavier and he let out a deep moan when he came. Patiently she waited until he was done then she placed herself next to him and rested her head on his right shoulder.  
"Vous ne m'avez pas encore dit votre nom." She whispered in his ear.  
"Hm?" He hummed.  
"What is your name?" She asked softly with her broken accent.  
"Ludwig." He replied.  
"Aww, Louis." She giggled.  
"Louis?" He asked.  
"Yes, that is your name in french, Louis." She replied with a big grin and he thought by himself, Louis did not sound so bad.  
After a night full of nightmares in which he desperately sought his brother, Ludwig woke up soaked in sweat and alone. The young woman was gone, only her lilac scent covered his pillow and he caught himself sniffing on it. She gave him a feeling of security that he had missed for a long time. He also had the feeling of cheating on his girlfriend even though she was dead. He missed her so much.  
A loud noise outside the door suppressed his feeling of grief and put him in alert. An old man hurried into the room. Nervously he placed his lantern on top of the small nightstand next to the bed and pressed clothes into Ludwig's arms. Ludwig did not know what was happening to him, it all happened very fast. The old man gesticulated Ludwig out of the bedroom and shooed him out of the cottage. In his eyes was no anger, just pity for the young man.  
With his finger he pointed twoards the forest and hurried back into his cottage. Ludwig heared him lock the door from the inside. Confused and covered with nothing but his bandages, he stood there staring at the cottage. The icy cold pierced right through his skin and immediately he started to put on his clothes. Once again Ludwig stumbled through the forest. Frozen, scared and alone. He had no idea where to go.  
The rain poured down and his fear of being found by the Lycans rose with every passing minute. In addition he felt sick. He still seemed to have a high fever, which did not make it easy. His clothes were thin and at the same time he had the feeling of burning inside. It was hard for him to follow the path the old man had sent him and he hoped to find a cabin or a house soon where he could find shelter.  
A thousand things ran through his mind. One worse than the other. His shoulders were heavy and he was thinking hard about how to get away from this godforsaken place. Should he walk all night or should he look for a suitable hiding place? If he went back the way he came, he would definitely run into the Lycans and always he saw his brothers face before his eyes. When Ludwig's mind was present again he found himself leaning his head against a tree. He had not noticed that had stopped walking. His teeth were clattering so loud that he thought the Lycans would find him right away. If he had not died yet, he would definitely die of the freezing cold. After a while he felt dizzy and fainted.  
It was day when Ludwig woke up again. The rain had not stopped but it had become easier. Soaking wet and with a blurry view he looked around and even worse than the evening before. He could not believe he was still alive. It felt like purgatory. Everything hurt him, from his broken arm that pulsed with every heartbeat to his fever that did not want to leave his body. Leached he dragged himself ahead. A feeling of inner unrest drove him. After a while, the fever went higher. His thoughts tricked him and he started to see things that were not there. When his imagination got worse and he saw Evelyn and her pack around him. Every little sound scared him to death and reflexively, he started to run without paying attention to exactly where he ran, as fast as possible, far away from this place.  
-  
It was already dark when the Lycans slowly approached the cottage of the old man and his daughter.  
"Get lost, you are not welcome here." Was the first thing the old man shouted after spotting a group of shiny yellow eyes in the dark.  
With wet dripping hair Evelyn stood in front of the old man.  
"Don't you dare, you fool. I know he is here." Evelyn said threateningly. She was looking for Ludwig. The old man looked at her unimpressed while aiming his crossbow at her.  
"I do not know what you are talking about." He said dry but Evelyn knew he lied.  
"Maybe this will loosen your tongue, old man." She replied and one of her men dropped a completely exhausted Joseph in front of him. Immediately, the young woman with the long dark hair left the cottage and ran into his arms.  
"Joseph." She cried out and kneeled next to him.  
"Merle, I told you to stay inside!" The old man scolded and gave Evelyn a stern look.  
"What have you done to my son, bitch?" The old man yelled.  
Evelyn's daunting laugh echoed through the air but the old man stayed brave because he knew what was about to happen next.  
"I will not tell you where the boy is." He announced.  
Evelyn's sight filled with rage.  
"If so, I will probably have to look for him myself and when I find him, I will make sure that he will chase you and eats you alive after his first metamorphosis!" With each word she became more angry until she ended up screaming her words. Joseph started to laugh, his arrogance seemed endless even after all the Lycans had done to him.  
"It is raining cats and dogs, you will never be able to track him." He said amused.  
Evelyn's eyes slowly wandered to Joseph and a small grin formed on her lips.  
"I found you. Do not underestimate me, miserable human." She said haughtily.  
"I wanted you to find me, there is a little difference and it took you more than a week." Joseph answered exhausted, his wounds were bigger than he wanted to admit. Joseph had deliberately lured them through half the country to distract the pack from Ludwig's trail.  
Her bottom lip quivered and Joseph's heart filled with satisfaction.  
Evelyn's sight wandered backto the old man whose mouth formed the same disrespectful smile like that of his son but before he could speak, Evelyn sprinted forward and tore off his head in an incredible speed. Blood spread through the air like a fountain and the siblings had to watch their father go down, frozen in shock.  
Evelyn went over to the young woman who could not stop crying and the injured Joseph placed himself protectively in front of his sister. Threateningly, she bent over the siblings and began to speak.  
"I will ask you one last time and think about it before you try to fool me. WHERE IS MY BOY?!" She roared.  
"Leave her alone, bitch." Joseph said and looked up at her. His smile had faded and small tears glistened in his eyes.  
"You promised." He added disappointed.  
Evelyn got up and looked down at the siblings kneeling before her.  
"Yes, I promised to protect you and your family, if you bring me enough men for my pack. Just as I promised the other citizens. But you do not do that! The sacrifices you and the other citizens make are useless, just like your miserable lifes. The men do not even make it to their transformations. I have only one boy left. I have to find him before it gets full moon! Your attempts to protect this boy are in vain. Why are you worried about him at all?" She asked and Joseph replied a last time.  
"Because I know he will be the one who tears you apart you bloody cunt. Your retarded male only can sniff each other's asses." Joseph chocked out.  
Unimpressed she turned away. That was the sign for her pack to move.  
One Lycan grabbed Joseph and knocked him down while an other one grabbed his sister brutally and pressed her to the floor after he ripped her dress apart. Whimpering she looked over at Joseph, who could not escape the strong grip of the Lycan that forced him to watch. With a leer on his face the Lycan looked up to Evelyn, waiting for a permission to continue. "My 'retarded' males how you call them, can do other things too." She said and gave him a nod before she left the property attended by the agonizing screams of the young woman and the dull noises of cracking bones on a wooden floor.  
-  
Exhausted Ludwig stumbled towards the end of the forest. His heart leapt in his throat with all his efforts. A few more steps and he could see a road. The road had to lead somewhere and he decided to follow it.  
It seemed early in the morning, the sun was just rising when Ludwig crawled along the rocky land route he heard wheels and horse's hooves behind him. Still crawling, inch by inch, Ludwig moved forward until the cart overtook him slowly. But then the cart slowed down and finally stopped when the merchant saw him collapse.  
When Ludwig opened his eyes again, the cart rumbled along the wet road. Ludwig's senses came back slowly and the first thing he recognized was clucking chickens in a small wooden cage next to him followed by some pots with various contents and other stuff that did not interest him much. He lay in the back of the cart, wrapped in a bunch of blankets.  
The exciting clucking of the chickens let the merchant know that his passenger was awake again. A throaty but soft voice hit his ears.  
"Everything fine with you, boy?" The old merchant sopke Ludwig's language without turning his head.  
"Yes?" Ludwig replied surprised even though he was not. He still felt dizzy and had a horrible taste in his mouth. Slowly he stood up and placed himself next to the old merchant.  
"You crazed my chickens back there. I was afraid they would die out of sheer fear. I need to sell something in this godforsaken country. Well, at least you are alive. Whoever threshed you like that, I hope you hit back. So, what is your name? Peter? You mumbled that name when you were unconscious." The merchant spoke kindly but Ludwig winced, when the thought of his brother returned. All the questions that stumbled out of the old man's mouth. It seemed he spent a lot of time on the road. But Ludwig did not mind. He was happy to hear his native language again.   
"Are you cold, boy?" The old merchant asked and reached out for a blanket behind him to put it around Ludwig's shoulders. Ludwig did not reply. The fever was still burning and he had trouble not to spill his stomach over the horse's back in front of him.  
"Well, it does not matter, right? I will take you to the next town, maybe anybody there is missing you and you urgently need a doctor." The merchant said worriedly but kept his eyes on the road. 

After a few minutes on the road Ludwig began to speak. "Why did you stop?" He asked the man while curling himself deeper into the blanket.  
"Well, thanks to my mare. She was so kind to you that I had to take you with us. First I did not want to. Do not take it personally, you have to know, there are a lot of bandits out there who attack you with all sorts of tricks and steal your goods" Said the old merchant. Ludwig watched him closely while he listened to his words. His eyes were as gray as his hair and edged with deep wrinkles and his fingers were small and crooked, he had a long beared that almost reached to his chest.  
"My name is Louis." He said feebly. Ludwig was sure he did not want to give the old merchant his real name. He would definitely tell someone about the young injured man he had found and taken to the next town and the Lycans would definately find him.  
"Oh, he actually can speak, nice to meet you Louis." The merchant joked but Ludwig did not feel like laughing. The merchant looked at him, Ludwig's face was pale as chalk and sweat had formed on his forehead. Still he was curious.  
"How is it that you speak my language?" Ludwig asked curiously and the old merchant did not hesitate to answer immediately.  
"I traveled my whole life. I speak a lot of languages, my son." He said with a smile. 'My son' Ludwig sighed and looked at him kind of amazed how friendly he was. He had such a compassionate aura that Ludwig wanted to cry and somehow the old merchant remindet him of his vather. 

Ludwig tried to suppress his nausea and closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the noise of the big wooden wheels rumbling over the stone road. After a while the merchant began to speak again.  
"I have bad news my son, there is a little storm coming up but we only have a few hours left until we reach the next town. We will get you there." The merchant said reassuringly. In fact the storm was getting worse and the wind almost swept the cart away before they reached the town.  
"Where are we driving to?" Ludwig mumbled into the blanket.  
"We are heading for Orléans." He replied. "Orlé-what?" Ludwig asked confused.  
"Orléans, the most famous town in france, Louis." He answered.

A few hours later they arrived. The old merchant found shelter for both of them nearby a small farm. A farm, something familiar Ludwig knew too well. He missed the smell of hay and straw. Finally in a warm and dry place but Ludwig did not feel better. When they arrived the old merchant made him a bed out of straw and went to change his wet clothes.  
Ludwig was so weak he could not move anymore. When he started to undress the exhausted boy he spotted the blood-soaken bandages all over his torso.  
"Oh Louis, it is a miracle that you are still alive. Half-starved and badly wounded. oh boy, what did they do to you?" He spoke quietly when he saw those wounds underneath the bandages. Once he saw those wounds when he was a young man like Ludwig and now he knew what had happened and would happen to the poor boy in front of him. But instead of running away he decided to stay.  
Ludwig's wounds turned septic and the old merchant tried everything to stop the inflammation by himself. He carefully removed the pus that had accured underneath the scars on his back and dried the wounds. Ludwig cried and his body was shaking. It was a painful torture, even for the old merchant who suffered with him and treated him like his own son. A few days later a dark blue line had appeared around to the wounds, a sepsis spread in his body. The poor boy had to suffer hell.  
"I know it hurts, hold on Louis, it will be over soon." The merchant soothed him but he was afraid his help was coming too late. 

The upcoming night was a full moon night. For days, the merchant had tried to take care of Ludwig as good as possible. He seemed absent and did not respond to the merchant, although his eyes were open. Ludwig's pupils were as pale as a full moon. Again and again cramps plagued him and his fever rose to an immeasurable degree. The storm was still raging and strong wind pressed rain through every crack of the walls. What a horrible night.  
Faintly, the old merchant could see the full moon between the clouds.  
When he went to whipe sweat from Ludwig's forehead he startled. Wide bloodshot eyes glowed in a deep yellow. The color was intens and also shone through his eyelids. Ludwig suddenly started to spit out all his teeth followed by a huge amount of blood. The old merchant was shocked, but he stayed at his side. Horrible screams escaped Ludwig's throat and the cramps got worse. 

The pain crawled through his flesh as if something was eating him from the inside. A stinging and tingling pressure spread in his muscles and the joints of his hands began to dislocate. Soon his whole body was contorted. Between all the screams and pain Ludwig managed to say a word. "Run" He whimpered when he realized that he would not stay human this night but the old merchant only shook his head and stayed.  
Moments later his limbs began to stretch and fur began to grow across skin. His face transformed into a monstrous grimace. Huge fangs grew out of his blood covered gum and his screams turned into an indefinable dog like whimper.  
When the merchant dared to take a look at Ludwig again, he saw a dark, shivering dog like creature in the corner next to Ludwig's bed. His body was slightly covered with fur, his skin beneath it turned gray. Long paws with huge black claws dug into the ground. The beast was trembling, also the merchant was. He slowly aproached and reached out for the thing that once was his boy.  
"Louis, can you heare me?" He stuttered out but the old merchant did not tramble any longer.

Ludwig woke up and found himself on the barn floor undressed. With both hands he rubbed his face and realized that he could move his left arm again. The pain was gone, even the bad fever he had during the last month had vanished completely. Also the storm had passed and the sun was shining outside. It was a beautiful day. Sitting there on the floor he watched his former wounds that turned into scars, only a pale scar tissue reminded him of the big, gaping inflamed wounds he had. The young woman could sew really well. Someday he had to thank her for her help. The feeling in his chest was incredible, his body was completely recovered except for the scars and Ludwig felt great but the joy did not last long.  
There was something in the corner of the barn. The buzz of flies caught his attention. From the distance he saw blood. Slowly he got up, went to the corner and flinched. He found a body, it was skinned and fouled up beyond all recognition. Blood and big scratches spread across the walls and the floor. Ludwig had to threw up. After all he had seen, his stomach had not gotten used to it yet. It was the merchant and he was afraid it was him. He recognized his scent and tears welled in his eyes. Ludwig cried bitterly. He could not even remember anything but he was so sorry.  
It took him a long time to process what had happened.


	9. Home is where the heart is

Nobody noticed Ludwig when he snuck away from the farm after he covered the old merchant's remains with straw. No matter how hard he tried to reconstruct the last night in his mind, it did not work. The old man's death was hard for him, even if he knew him only briefly, he had liked him and he could not help but cry.  
How much loss could his heart endure? At this moment, Ludwig only wished for his brother and now he was strong enough to go home. 

Sweat-soaked he arrived the place where he and Peter grew up. Ludwig had run for days without rest and without being exhausted. Neither the cold could not harm him because he did not feel it anymore.  
As night drew on, Ludwig followed his brother's trail. The path led him into a tavern. Ludwig did not expect his brother there, not in such a place with so many people.  
In fact he thought of something like a tomb, somewhere in a cemetery, like in the old stories about vampires. But his nose told him so. When Ludwig entered the tavern he placed himself in the darkest corner of the room. People gave him suspicious looks, the scar on his face was really hard to miss, no matter how deep he hid in the shadows, not to mention his yellow eyes. Some of the visitors thought they saw them gleam.  
Though it was almost silend inside, Ludwig's sense of hearing was swamped by every little sound. He heared the whispers about him and their anxious heartbeats, the whistling sounds of men breathing through their noses, the sips they did on their tankards with their screeching covers that opened and closed and other unsightly noises, not to mention the disgusting smell.  
It was easy to get annoyed but when a door slamed open it was like a cannon that had been fired right next to his ear. He was so frightened that he spilled his drink.  
After Ludwig had calmed down he saw a young man with long dark hair and his female companion been pushed out of a room by an almost naked woman who covered her big boobs with her arm.  
"Out with you, scum!" She yelled but the couple just laughed and made their way down the stairs. Ludwig pricked his ears, paying all attention to the young man. His laugh was very familiar to him but no matter how he turned he could not see his face. Closely he watched him and his guts cramped by excitment.  
Right before the couple left the tavern, Ludwig rushed out of the shadows to put his hand on the man's shoulder. But before the man began to speak Ludwig knew he had made a mistake.  
"Hands off, you oaf!" The man said rudely and pushed him away. A strong smell of alcohol hit Ludwig's nose hard before he went outside the door.  
It seemed the alcohol suppressed his sense of smell and Ludwig felt sick. Ludwig turned around and took a deep breath. It was not a good idea to walk into this tavern and Ludwig blamed himself. He was mad, did he forget how his brother looked like in this short amount of time?  
Disappointed he walked through the dark streets. Only two types of humans were still on the streets now. Some whores whose body were all they had to make money with and drunken men who bargained for every penny, because they were too stingy to pay them. 

When Ludwig came across a dark alley the strong smell of alcohol hit his sensitive nose again. Obviously another drunk man, he thought until they collided.  
"Man, watch where you are going!" The man slurred at Ludwig, but mostly fretted about the spilled red wine that immediately inked into his white shirt. While the man wiped the last drops off his chest, Ludwig rushed into his arms and began to cry before the man even noticed. Ludwig whimpered into his chest and the man was stunned and touched Ludwig's head in surprise. His fingers groped through his dark short hair until Ludwig lifted his head.  
"Peter, I finally found you." He said with relief. Peter's senses were so stupefied, by all he might had drunk, that he could not think clearly.  
"Peter it is me, Ludwig." He said desperately. Peter eyed him suspiciously before he finally noticed it was his twin, standing right in front of him.  
"I am Peter? Oh my god, Ludwig is that you?!" Peter called out, he finally recognized him. Ludwig immediately put his hand on his mouth.  
"Hush! Do not call me Ludwig, call me Louis, I do not want anybody to hear my name." Ludwig whispered hastily and Peter just nodded but he did not really knew what happened. His gaze fell on the old drunkard behind them. The man was so drunk he could barely stand but Ludwig took his brothers arm to walk away from that guy.  
"Oh do not worry about him." Peter slurred, when he realized the situation,  
"He has a distillery and I can drink as much as I want, for free." Peter giggled like a little girl in front of a pink pony. He had used his time well, he discovered his preference for strong alcohol and made friends with the drunkard of the city. It was not reprehensible that Peter started drinking after all he had experienced. At least he was not alone.  
"Say, what is that smell?" Peter asked a moment later and held his nose.  
"What do you mean?" Ludwig asked confused and started to sniff.  
"It is you. You smell like a wet dog, like that Joseph guy." Peter replied in a silly voice and touched his brothers nose but Peter's words hit him, Ludwig blushed, he felt awkward and the thought of Joseph made him mad.  
"Joseph, that bastard, if I ever see him again, I will slit his throat with my own claws."  
Ludwig replied. The vampire watched him closely before Ludwig hid his face hin his hands.  
He had been traveling for so long, struggling for his life, and Peter did not recognized him and then complained about his smell.  
"Lud... Louis, what do you mean, claws?" Peter asked and carefully wiped the tears from his brothers face. It took him a while but then he noticed the scar and his twin's yellow eyes.  
"What happened to you?" He asked shocked, his drunkenness vanished instantly.  
"I thought I would never see you again." The words stumbled out of Ludwig's mouth followed by a river of tears before he buried his face in his twin's chest. Peter had forgotten almost everything by the alcohol, nor had he been sober a single day since Ludwig had left him. Now the shock was stronger than the alcohol in Peter's blood and his sense came up again, stronger than before. Sized by his brothers feelings Peter began to cry. The pain in his chest, caused by his twin felt awful, his chest ached violently and he remembered why he started drinking.  
When both calmed down Ludwig told him everything he went through during the last three months. He talked about Joseph and Evelyn and the ambush. And he talked about the old merchant he had killed and the beast he will turn into every full moon from now on.  
Peter listened carefully and he wished he never had been seperated from his brother. Feelings of guilt flooded him and it broke his heart to hear what had happened to his little brother.  
"I am so sorry, you were right." Ludwig whimpered and wrapped his arms around his skinny brother  
"Do not be sorry. It was my fault, I let you go. You are home now. I swear, from now on we will never be seperated again little brother." Peter replied. The connection to his twin was strong again, stronger than before. Maybe it was the fact that Ludwig was cursed too but sooner or later Peter should realize that the consumption of alcohol would suppress this ability, because he could not quit.  
For a while the twins lay in each other's arms glad to be together again and Ludwig could close his eyes again for the first time in weeks.

 

-Chicago 2000-

It was dark outside and there were hardly people left on the streets, only Immortals and a few cars were heared from the distans. It was just after midnight when a young man stood in a dark side street. Patiently he watched a pub across the street, his eyes hidden underneath a cap only lit by a street light. His heartbeat was fast like he was scared or excited. His shoulders pulled up and his hands buried deep in his pockets. It was freezing cold. Only a thin denim jacket and a hoodie protected him from the cold and sometimes he hobbed on the spot to keep himself warm. He was waiting a while now, his hands and lips were tinted blue. But he remained strong, because he knew he couldn't leave until he had it.  
His breath rose into the sky while he waited patiently. It took hours until someone finally left the pub he observed. A man stumbled out of the door down the street and the young man's eyes brightened when he found what he was looking for.  
Immediately he followed the man but he kept the distance, he didn't want to be noticed.  
But in his inattention, the young man didn't realize that he was already watched as well. Along the streets the man took a side street, immediately followed by the young man who ran after him but before he passed the corner the man had disappeared.  
A little unsettled the young man ran down the asphalt and looked for him between damaged cars and trash cans but it was in vain. Angrily he kicked a garbage bag, his anger distracted him completely.  
Out of the sudden the man attacked him from behind. The young man fell hard to the ground.  
"Did you think I didn't notice you?" The man asked amused and red eyes flashed in the dark.  
Hastily the young man rummaged in his pocket to get a syringe but he panicked when fangs shown bright in front of him.  
"This will be your last night on earth, little human and I will enjoy to kill you very very slowly." The man said, but before his fangs cut through the young man's skin and before he could even taste his blood, another vampire appeared, grabbed his collar and pulled him away roughly. The man flew through the air and the young man trembled all over but managed to hide. Now these monsters were already fighting over their dinner, the young man thought.  
Clothes were torn, blood splattered, the vampires fought hard until the attacker fled.  
Stumbling and a little battered, the vampire approached the young man who hid in a damaged car. His heartbeat was heard from afar, it wasn't hard for the vampire to find him. Footsteps crunched on the gravel and stopped next to the car. The vampire tilted his head. Without a word he watched the young man through the broken window, crouched in the backseat, completely frightened, then he started to speak.  
"Shall I open the door or will you come out by yourself?" The vampire asked dryly.  
The young man only shook his head, too big was his fear of the vampire that just had safed his life.  
"Go away, leave me alone!" He yelled anxiously when he found his voice again also couldn't believe there could be another reason for his rescue than his blood. The vampire just rolled his eyes then ripped off the car door without any effort. He grabbed the young man and pulled him out of the car.  
"My pleasure." The vampire replied. His voice sounded offended but as soon as he released his grip the young man sprinted as fast as his shaking legs could carry him and the vampire just watched.  
"And there he goes." He whispered sadly while his eyes fell on the syringe in the gravel down to his feet.

It wasn't long until the vampire scented the young man's track again. And again the young man stood in the same place.  
Patiently, the vampire watched the young trembling man who was about to find his next vampire. For whatever reason.  
"Don't you have enough?" The vampire asked with a gentle voice. But no matter how carefully he spoke, the young man startled. In his eyes he saw nothing but fear, even panic. This time he was too stunned to run. The young man looked at him speechless and the vampire tried to explain.  
"Please, do not be afraid of me, if I had wanted to drink you, I would have done so long ago, You are loud and careless, and you smell of fear. Even a blind vampire could track you, to be honest. I'm not that kind of vampire, I won't harm you. It's not easy to turn off prejudice, you may have experienced bad things with vampires. Long talk short, you've lost this."  
He said quietly and opened his hand, the young man stared at the hand skeptically, in it was the syringe he had lost the night before, he didn't even notice.  
Was he serious? Of course he had experienced bad things with vampires, just the night before. Vampires were bad deceitful creatures without any conscience. The young man just stared at him. A lot of questions ran through his mind. Could he believe a word he said?  
Why did he safe his life? What if the vampire attacked him instantly? Was it an ambush? Carefully he reached for the syringe.  
But when his warm hand touched the dead cold hand and the equally cold metal of the syringe the vampire turned away. His stomach twisted instantly and his dead heart jumped.

A shy "Thanks" reached his ear that let tears rose in his eyes. Immediately, the vampire jumped back on the shadowed wall where he sat before and hid his face in his hood.  
"You really are not like the others, are you?" The young man asked and the vampire shook his head. It was not exactly the kind of situation the young man had imagined. He also knew that getting vampire blood wouldn't be easy but he had the feeling that this vampire could be the key to his success.  
"My name's Martin, what's your name?" He asked and watched the vampire closely.  
"Peter. What's with the vampire blood when you have it?" He asked timidly. Martin looked at him wide-eyed.  
"I didn't say anything about blood." He replied.  
"Well, you sure didn't want to tap his hair color last night, right?" Peter said cheeky and Martin had to smirk. Somehow Peter impressed him, in his young life he had seen a lot, too much to be honest. Yet he felt comfortable in the presence of this vampire, despite his past. It seemed like he already knew him.  
"Of course I did not, you're right. Tell me, Peter, are you interested in helping me with my work, I'm on a trail and I think you could be a big help in my research." He said hopefully, yet reservedly.  
"Usually it's the other way around, the vampire takes the blood of a human but yes, I will help you and give you some blood." Martin liked the way he talked and he could tell Peter was smiling. When Peter came down the wall, silent as a cat, and stepped into the light Martin saw his face. For a brief moment their eyes met in the dim light and the glitter in Peter's eyes told him that he finally found something he had long missed. Warmth spread in Martin's chest and Peter lowered his head again. It felt crazy and unreal, the piercing look of the vampire let him forget the cold around him for a short time. His dark red eyes were warm and kind, anything but thirsty and evil. And Martin knew he could trust him.


End file.
